Xavi confused about one position in starting XI for Espanyol vs Barcelona

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele made his much-awaited return when Barcelona played Ousasuna at Spotify Cam Nou earlier this month. Although the French winger played just 38 minutes, it was enough for him to gain a competitive rhythm for the upcoming games.

So as Barcelona prepare to take on Espanyol in Catalan Derby on May 14, Xavi will have to choose one player between Dembele and Raphinha on the right wing, reports Spanish publication SPORT.

It must be noted that both Dembele and Raphinha are competing for the same position, and although the two can be slotted together, the manager will have to decide who will be his starter against Espanyol.

Now, as long as Dembele is concerned, his three-month recovery period made Raphinha the unassailable starter. And as it turns out, the Brazilian has returned with a goal and two assists in his last four outings.

There is an argument that after a long recovery period, Dembele is now match fit, so when the team returns to training on Tuesday to prepare for the derby, both players will be assessed by the manager, who has always given preference to what he has seen in the training.

From there on, a decision will be made, although it is going to be quite difficult as both players are making a strong case for themselves. 

For Raphinha, he has had his fair share of low moments, but the Brazilian anyway has a decent figure to show for it, having scored 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season.

Beyond these figures, though, there is a sense of belief that he lacks consistency, and this is where Dembele wins the game against Raphinha. Now, despite Dembele’s injury record, Xavi has enormous faith in Dembele as his commitment is simply unquestionable.

He is indeed the most decisive between the two, but Xavi must find a way to keep both of them happy.